Winch assemblage



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United States Patent WINCH ASSEMBLAGE Howard C. Riemann, West Allis, Wis., assignor to The Fulton Company, West Allis, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 17, 1954, Serial No. 416,880

2 Claims. (Cl. 254-486) This invention relates in general to improvements in the construction and operation of winch assemblages for lifting and hauling diverse loads, and relates more specifically to improvements in winches of the type forming the subject of my copending application Serial No: 390,909, filed November 9, 1953.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improvements in winches of the type shown in my prior application, whereby such winch assemblages are made more flexible in their adaptations.

In said prior application I have revealed a manually operable lifting and hauling winch comprising a frame having spaced side walls rigidly interconnected by an axle, a winding drum journalled upon the axle and having an internally toothed ring gear secured to one end, a driving pinion journalled upon one of the frame walls. and meshing with the teeth of the ring gear, and a holding latch for the pinion pivotally suspended from the axle, the ring gear and pinion being formed of sheet metal laminations. While this previous winch has proven} highly successful and satisfactory when rotation of the winding drum in only one direction is desired, it has been; found desirable in some instances, to be able to reverse the drum rotation which also necessitates reversal of the; action of the holding pawl or latch coacting with the! driving pinion. Then too, it is frequently necessary to dispose these winches in various positions wherein a gravity actuated holding latch will not function properly, and while my former application shows leaf springs for resiliently maintaining the latch in both active and inactive positions this prior device may not function properly if the winch is subjected to considerable jarring or vibration.

It is therefore an important object of my present invention to provide improved instrumentalities for positively maintaining the pinion and gear holding pawl or latch of such a winch in either active or inactive position; under even the most severe operating conditions.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved winch the operation of which may be readily reversed by the user and Without replacing parts of the structure.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact and durable winch assemblage wherein a toggle coacting with the driving gear holding latch functions to effectively retain this latch in desired position while also permitting convenient reversal of the latch action.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a small but powerful lifting and hauling winclr which may be installed in any position and effectively operated by rotation of the winding drum in either direction.

These and other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following de tailed description from which it will also be noted that the gist of the present improvement is the provision of a: winch assemblage comprising a rope or cable winding reel or drum rotatable by means of gearing and adapted to be held against rotation by a pawl or latch coacting with the driving gears, and wherein the latch is reversible to hold the load when the drum is adapted for rotation in either direction and also effectively performs its function under various conditions of operation.

A clear conception of the specific features constituting; the present improvement, and of the construction and. operation of a typical commercial winch embodying the. invention, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification ini which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. l is an end elevation of a portable winch unit assembled for normal lifting or hauling of a load when the crank handle is rotated in a clockwise direction, and showing the holding latch in active or holding position; with the latch retaining toggle coacting with one side of the adjacent frame wall;

Fig. 2 is a similar end elevation of the same winch unit assembled for normal lifting and hauling of a load when the crank handle is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, and showing the holding latch in active or holding; position but with the latch retaining toggle coacting with the opposite side of the adjacent frame wall;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the winch unit assembled as in Fig. 1, the section having been taken. along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the pinion holding; latch and retaining toggle therefor, showing the latch and toggle in active position in solid lines, and in inactive position in dot-and-dash lines, and the mechanism being, assembled as in Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a similarly enlarged bottom view of the rigid; member of the latch retaining toggle.

While the invention has been shown and described as. having been embodied by way of illustration in a winch; assemblage formed primarily of sheet metal and having a holding pawl or latch pivotally suspended from the drum axle, it is not the intention to unnecessarily restrict. the use of the improved features to such an assemblage; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms employed herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

Referring to the drawing, the improved Windlass or winch assemblage shown therein, comprises in general, a sturdy U-shaped frame 7 having a base 8 and opposite upstanding side walls 9, 10 formed integral with the base; a cylindrical axle 11 firmly interconnecting the frame walls 9, 10 remote from the base 8; a rope or cable winding reel or drum 12 having a central hub sleeve 13 journalled for rotation upon the axle 11 and provided with opposite end disks 14, 15 located near the frame walls 9, 10 respectively; a cable attaching fitting 16 secured to the end disk 14 near the hub sleeve 13; an internally toothed ring gear 17 permanently attached to the outer side face of the end disk 15; a driving pinion 18 meshing with the teeth of the ring gear 17 and having a propelling shaft 19 journalled in a bearing 20 firmly secured to the frame wall 10; a crank handle 21 for rotating the shaft 19 and pinion 18; a holding pawl or latch 22 for the pinion 18 swingably suspended coaxially of the axle 11; and a toggle consisting of a rigid link member 23 and a resilient spring member 24 pivotally interconnected and swingably associated with the latch 22 and frame wall 10 respectively.

The U-shaped frame 7 may be formed of durable sheet metal with the aid of punches and dies, and may be firmly secured to a suitable support by means of bolts or cap screws 26 passing through holes formed in the base 8, as shown in Fig. 3. The cylindrical axle 11 which interconnects the upstanding side walls 9, 10 of the frame 7 near their upper ends, may be a removable bolt normally held in position by a lock washer and nut 27 coacting with the threaded shank of the bolt, and at least the side wall 10 is provided with opposite notches 28 providing interchangeable pivot sockets for the outer end of the resilient toggle member 24, see Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The bearing 20 is welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the frame wall 10, and the frame 7 may be formed of one or more pieces of sheet metal so as to provide a sturdy frame assemblage.

The central hub sleeve 13 of the winding reel or drum 12 approximately spans the space between the frame side walls 9, 10 but is freely rotatable about the fixed axle 11, and this sleeve may be formed of tubing with its end nearest to the wall 10 slightly reduced to provide a pivot bearing for the holding latch 22. The end heads or disks 14, 15 of the winding reel 12 may also be formed of durable sheet metal with the aid of punches and dies, and are firmly secured to the sleeve 13 by welding or otherwise. The end disk 14 has an inwardly olf-set central portion to which the U-bolt or fitting 16 is firmly secured, and the opposite end disk 15 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed relatively large openings 30 located within the teeth of the ring gear 17, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This ring gear 17 may likewise be formed of several laminations of sturdy sheet-metal with the aid of punches and dies, and may be firmly attached to the end disk 15 by means of local peripheral welds 31 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The driving pinion 18 for the ring gear 17 may also be formed of several laminations of sturdy sheet metal with the aid of punches and dies, and which are welded or otherwise digidly united and attached to the inner end of the driving shaft 19 so as to position the pinion 18 within the ring gear 17 with the teeth of these elements properly intermeshing. The medial portion of the driving shaft 19 may also be formed with an annular flange 33 coacting with one end of the bearing 20 and a snap ring 34 carried by the shaft 19 and coacting with the opposite end of this bearing, may also be provided in order to prevent axial displacement of the shaft 19, and the crank handle 21 may be formed of rod stock and coacts with a flattened end of the shaft 19 being detachably retained thereon by a cotter pin 35.

The holding pawl or latch 22 the medial portion of which is pivotally suspended coaxially of the axle bolt 11, by the reduced end of the sleeve 13, may also be formed of sturdy sheet metal and has a hook 36 at one end cooperable with the teeth of the pinion 18, and a manipulating handle 37 at its opposite end, see Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5. The medial portion of the latch 22 is also provided with a semi-circular recess 38 located a considerable distance away from the axle 11, and one end of the rigid member 23 of the latch retaining toggle has a cylindrical flange 39 formed integral therewith or rigidly attached thereto, which is pivotally cooperable with the latch recess 39. The opposite end of this rigid toggle member 23 has a hole 40 therein with which the inner end of the resilient toggle member 24 is pivotally cooperable, and the medial portion of the rigid link member 23 is provided with an arcuate slot 41 which constantly clears the sleeve 13 when the toggle swings across the axle 11 but is open at one end in order to facilitate as sembly of the mechanism.

The latch 22 is adapted to be reversed upon its suspension pivot from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2, and vice versa, in order to cause its hook 36 to properly coact with the teeth of the pinion 18 when it becomes desirable to reverse the normal rotation of the winding drum 12; and when the latch pawl is thus reversed, it is also necessary to reverse the position of the toggle members 23, 24 so as to cause the hook at the lower outer end of the helical spring member 24 to engage thepivot notch 28 at the opposite side of the frame wall 10 Whenever the latch 22 is in either position relative to the pinion 18, the tension spring member 24 will function to force the latch hook 36 into holding engagement with an adjacent pinion tooth as shown in solid lines in Fig. 4, when the toggle center-line 44 is below the axis of the axle 11, and will alternately function to hold the latch hook well out of the path of the pinion teeth as shown in dot-and-dash lines when the toggle center-line 44 has moved upwardly across the axle axis.

During normal operation of the improved winch unit and with the latch 22 and its retaining toggle assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the crank arm 21 may be revolved freely in a clockwise direction to cause the successive pinion teeth to ride over the pawl hook 36 when the drum 12 is being rotated to wind the rope or cable thereon, but the toggle will act quickly to hold the drum 12 against reverse rotation whenever the crank arm 21 is released. However, if the latch 22 is thrown into release position so as to withdraw the hook 36 from the path of the pinion teeth, the pinion 18 and drum 12 become free to rotate in either direction so as to permit unobstructed unwinding of the rope or cable, and the resilient toggle member 24 will positively retain the latch pawl in either winding or unwinding position. When the latch and toggle assembly is reversed as in Fig. 2, the crank arm 21 and drum 12 may be rotated freely in a counterclockwise direction during cable winding operation but will be positively held against reverse rotation if the crank handle 21 is released; and with the parts thus assembled, the latch may likewise be thrown into release position to permit free winding or unwinding rotation of the drum 12 in either direction.

From the foregoing detailed description of the construction and operation of the improved winch assemblage, it will be apparent that the mechanism is extremely flexible in its adaptations to permit winding operation of the reel or drum 12 in either direction with the aid of the reversible latch and toggle which functions to effectively hold the winding drum against unwinding rotation while the load is applied to the winch. The various parts can be conveniently reversed by merely removing the axle 11 from the frame 7 and from within the sleeve 13, whereupon the reel 12 may be readily removed; and the provision of the openings 30 in the end disk 15 also enables the winch to be compactly assembled for storage and shipment since the crank handle 21 upon its removal from the shaft 19, can be inserted through one of these openings with its longer leg extending diagonally through the drum and across the interior of the frame 7. Since the major parts of the improved winch may be manufactured from sheet-metal and rod or tube stock, the device can be manufactured and sold at moderate cost and for various uses, and the structure has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual commercial use.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and operation of the winch assemblage herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon and being provided with a notch remote from said axle, a winding drum having driving gearing at an end thereof and being rotatable about the axis of said axle, an elongated holding latch having a manipulating handle at one end and a hook at its opposite end engageable with said gearing while its medial portion is pivotally suspended directly from said drum to swing concentrically of said axis and is provided with a laterally open recess remote from and swingable across the axis of said axle, a medially slotted toggle link having an integral projection extending laterally from one end and pivotally engaging said recess while its other end is swingable about said projection on the other side of said axle, and

a helical tension spring connecting said swingable link end with said frame notch and being cooperable with said link to retain said pivotal projection within said recess and to alternately retain said latch in drum holding and release positions.

2. In a winch, a frame having an axle mounted thereon and being provided with a notch remote from said axle, a winding drum having driving gearing at an end thereof and being rotatable about the axis of said axle, an elongated holding latch having a manipulating handle at one end and a hook :at its opposite end engageable with said gearing while its medial portion is pivotally suspended to swing concentrically of said axis and is provided with a laterally open recess remote from and swingable across the axis of said axle, a medially slotted toggle link having a projection extending laterally from one end and pivotally engaging said recess while its other end is swingable about said projection on the other side of said axle, and a helical tension spring connecting said swingable link end with said frame notch and being cooperable with said link to retain said pivotal projection Within said recess and to alternately retain said latch in drum holding and release positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,480 Brady Feb. 18, 1890 719,572 Evenden Feb. 3, 1903 1,177,767 Eggleston Apr. 4, 1916 1,216,416 Chalmers Feb. 20, 1917 2,227,309 Hill Dec. 31, 1940 2,408,365 Biehl et a1. Oct. 1, 1946 2,647,725 Cofiing Aug. 4, 1953 2,650,713 Nigh Sept. 1, 1953 

